One game with Love
by dash-hadoukyuu
Summary: Valentine's day... While the regulars are on the Valentine ball, Ryoma and Sakuno are on their date...


"**1-0" (one game with love)**

"Ohayou Tomoka… What are you looking at there?" Sakuno asked while approaching Tomoka whom is looking at the postings on the bulletin board.

"This is exciting!! A Valentine Ball… It will be held next week, in celebration for valentines day." Tomoka said.

"Tomoka it time already… let's go to class… or we'll be late…"

"Oh! I forgot! Let's hurry."

Lunch break has come; the regulars are having lunch together under the trees near the tennis courts.

"Hoi hoi!! Have you heard about the ball? I guess you are already searching for your partners." Eiji said to all while eating his favorite meal.

"Well… I already have my date Eiji-senpai." Momoshiro replied.

"Shhhh… I wonder who that unlucky girl is." Kaidoh said.

"What do you want to tell me? That I'm not a good date?!"

"Well you said it… Shhhh…."

"Why you!?..." the two starting to argue again.

"Stop that!" Oishi trying to cool down the two.

"Ei Oishi, do you have your date?" Eiji asked.

"Me? Umm… I haven't asked her yet." Oishi said.

"Huh? You better make your move before someone does." Eiji said while taking a big bite on his sandwich.

"You're right! As vice captain I should have confidence. I'll go see her now, see you later guys."

Oishi hurriedly went to the school building, forgetting to finish his meal.

"Hoi hoi! Oishi!! Finish your meal first! Aww… Well I guess I will keep this until he comes back." Eiji packed Oishi's lunch and kept it beside him.

"Eiji-senpai, how about you? Do you have your date already? Momo asked.

"Yup!! I didn't expect that she would come with me on the upcoming ball, but she did!"

"Nice, Eiji" said Kawamura. "I don't know if I could get a date before the Valentines Day ball…" he added.

"Taka-san…" Fuji called his attention and passed him a racket, and he gripped on it. Taka-san became silent then…

"BURNING!!!! I'LL HAVE THE MOST NUMBER OF GIRLS ON THE BALL!! YOU'LL SEE!!" Kawamura is now on his burning mode.

"Hehehe… Nice Taka-san" Fuji said. "Echizen, how about you? You're not joining our conversations."

"I have no time for those…" Ryoma said and drank his Ponta.

"Oh come on Echizen! Have fun…" Momo said.

Near where the regulars are having lunch, Sakuno was about to approach Ryoma but after she heard what Ryoma said, she turned back and went away. Quite upset. She went to the lake park and sat on the bench near the lake, looking at the noontime sky.

"Looks like I won't be at the ball." She said to herself.

The days have passed, now the long awaited valentine ball has come.

Many people arrived at the venue, and some are still coming, here comes the others…

The golden pair now comes in along with their golden dates. They seem to be happy with their partners. Momoshiro now enters the room with his partner, Ann. Next to him comes Kaidoh…

"Shhhh….."

"Mamushi! Where's your date? I bet she left you already. HAHA" Momo teasing him.

"Hmp! Just shut up… Shhhhh…." Kaidoh went to the corner to avoid making a scene with Momo and to avoid ruining the event.

"That's odd for Kaidoh…" said someone from behind.

Momo turned around and… "Inui-senpai! You're here too! And…" He was surprised by his partner; "Coach Hanamura!?"

"Momoshiro-kun… How are you?" Coach Hanamura asked.

"I'm fine, just surprised." Momo replied "Inui-senpai sure is weird." He said to himself.

"BURNING!!!" shouted Kawamura. "GREATO!!" shouted the girls with him.

He has a girl group for the ball. He really did have the most number of partners. Meanwhile…

Fuji and Tezuka now entered the room with their respective partners.

Fuji was with her sister and as for Tezuka, he was with a beautiful, elegant girl in a white gown.

Everybody was astonished by beauty of the girl so they asked who she was…

"My name is Yuki, well… Tezuka invited me and I am honored to be with the best tennis player I ever knew." She said with great confidence.

Fuji went close to Tezuka's ear and whispered: "Don't let your guard down." Then he smile to Tezuka and continued inside the room.

"Where is O-chibi??" Eiji noticed that Ryoma, he saw Horio which is also at the ball with Tomo-chan and approached them.

"Have you seen O-chibi around??"

"Echizen? I haven't seen him." Horio replied.

"Huh? Sakuno-chan is not here also…" Tomo-chan said.

"Hmm… I wonder…" Eiji thinking deeply.

"Eiji-kun!! The program is about to start." It was his partner calling him, and he went to his partner forgetting what he was thinking.

The lights went off then someone's voice surrounded the room.

"Good evening to all of you." The spotlight has lit up the center stage.

"I, the great Atobe declares the start of this grand valentine party." Atobe points to Tezuka. "Be awed by my prowess" He added.

"Right Kabaji?"

"Yes" Kabaji answered.

"Are you satisfied?" Asked Atobe's Coach.

"Yes, I am satisfied." Atobe replied.

The party has begun, but where is our Ryoma? Meanwhile, Sakuno was still upset, now she is at the tennis courts doing a wall practice.

"I think this is my saddest day of the year…" she said to herself.

She continued on hitting the ball on the wall, and then suddenly she stopped. She sat on the bench and looked at the empty courts.

"Why are you playing here on you own?" a familiar voice asked from behind.

She turned to look who is behind and she was surprised, It was Ryoma.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"It's boring, so I came here to practice." He replied. "Want to play a game with me?"

"Umm… Su..sure…" Sakuno is still surprised.

"You get to serve."

They now started the game as she served the ball…

"Your form, still has not improved." Ryoma said.

"Oh… I see… Thanks"

It is unusual for Ryoma to keep a slow rally like this, now Ryoma made a point.

"Love-Fifteen" Ryoma said. Let's continue with the game. "You can do it"

"He is like giving me training." She said to herself.

"Ok! I'll do my best" She now did her serve. It was a much better serve than the first one.

"Good" Ryoma smiled and hit the ball back.

The rally gets better as it continues.

"Try to return this!" Ryoma hit the ball at a higher rate.

"I can do this…" Sakuno said. She chased the ball and hit it but the ball was going to hit the net.

"Good shot but it wont…. Uh?" Ryoma was surprised. It was a cord ball.

"Fifteen all" Sakuno had scored on the game.

"Heh… Not bad." Ryoma once again smiled. "One more, you're getting better."

The game went on, Ryoma was playing at a low rate which was the reason for Sakuno to catch up, now the game is at a game point, Sakuno having the advantage.

"One more! I can win a game against him." She said while she serves.

She hit the ball at a good speed, at a level ten times greater than Horio's. (Hehe) But Ryoma did not hit the ball, and Sakuno won the game.

"One game…. With my Love…" Ryoma said, smiling at Sakuno.

Sakuno could not believe what she heard. She was very surprised to hear it from Ryoma.

"My love? Who? Me??" She asked.

"Yes" He replied.

Sakuno jumped over the net and went to Ryoma and gave him a hug.

They went by the riverside to talk.

"Ryoma… Why didn't you show just even a small sign of affection to me back then?" She asked.

"It's because I still have to be the best of all. I'm still not the best tennis player in Japan… No… in the world. I'll show you my affection just in this night. Tomorrow and on the days to come… until I reach the top, I'll be like who you used to know me. I'm not done yet."

"Ok… I'll wait for you. I promise." Sakuno understandingly replied.

"Don't worry, I'll be always the Ryoma you loved."

The next day at the Seigaku tennis courts, the regulars are doing their practice matches according to Inui's training menu. The freshmen trio are picking up the balls, and Sakuno and Tomoka are doing some duties they are told.

"Fuji-senpai… Mada mada dane." Ryoma hit the ball with a Drive B and he scored.

"No bad Echizen, Nice fighto." Fuji said.

"Everyone, time for a break." Tezuka said to them.

Ryoma was walking towards the tree and Sakuno and Tomoka was walking towards his direction.

"Sakuno, where were you last night?" Tomoka asked.

Ryoma has just passed by them without even looking at them, and Sakuno just smiled at him.

"Last night? I just practiced playing tennis, with someone special." Sakuno said to Tomo-chan

"And who was it?" She replied

"It's a secret. Mada mada dane" Sakuno said to Tomoka with a wink.


End file.
